Arete Cuts Rope Resulting in Groundfall for Michele Caminati

On March 27, Italian climber Michele Caminati sent Elder Statesman (HXS 7a, roughly 5.14 R) at Curbar Edge in England's Peak District. The next day he returned for a photoshoot. During the session, he fell above his protection with the rope running over the route's sharp arete. As you can see in the video, the arete cut his rope, resulting in a groundfall. He walked away with a broken heel and wrist, while his belayer suffered a concussion. Caminati shared the above footage to make other climbers aware of the dangers of rope shearing. He speculates that half ropes could have helped, but still may not have made a difference. The real lesson here is that, when you're in a no-fall zone, don't fall. Read a full report of the accident at UKClimbing.